A Queens model whose ambition took her to Jamaica in search of work to save money for film school has been found dead, her throat slashed, on the side of a rural road on the island.
The body of Desiree Gibbon, 26, was discovered Sunday morning in the small northwestern town of Anchovy, about 4 miles from Montego Bay.
Residents spotted the woman’s blood-caked body in the bushes and alerted the police, according to the LoopJamaica.com website. Her horrific death left her family reeling.
“We were very close, so you can imagine, when I got the news, ‘devastated’ doesn’t begin to describe it,” said Gibbon’s mother, Andrea Cali-Gibbon.
Suspect’s neighbor heard ‘horror movie’ screams on day of slaying
She described her daughter as a world traveler who once taught English to kids in Brazil and had one day hoped to be like globe-trekking chef Anthony Bourdain.
“She wanted to travel to countries and try things and experience cultures,” the mom said.
She and Gibbon’s father — who is from Jamaica — planned to fly to the island Friday morning.
Cali-Gibbon couldn’t fathom how her daughter met a violent end in such a beautiful paradise.
Florida may seek death penalty against former St. John’s athlete
“The brutality is what killed me. She was beaten and had her throat sliced open,” Cali-Gibbon said.
“She was a tough cookie,” the mom added. “I know she fought until she drew her last breath. I know she did. And I’m certain that her last thought was, ‘Will my mom be OK if I don’t make it?’ ”
Gibbon’s grandmother owns a hotel in Jamaica, and she stayed there while she looked for bartending work. Gibbon hoped to save money to attend film school in Europe, her mom said.
The young beauty contestant arrived in Jamaica on Oct. 20. Her mom said she was supposed to fly back to Queens on Thursday.
Gibbon was excited to return home and planned to work at a friend’s record label.
“It’s finally happening, Mom. I’m in the right place at the right time,” Cali-Gibbon recalled her daughter saying during what would be their last phone call, on Thanksgiving night.
Cali-Gibbon said she believes the killer lured her daughter away from the hotel.
“She didn’t venture out on her own. It was somebody she trusted,” the mom said.
Man told to turn music down allegedly sets fatal Brooklyn fire
Jamaican authorities identified Gibbon’s body by taking her photo to resorts in the Montego Bay area. One of the hotels was the inn her grandmother owns.
The coroner’s office will determine the cause of Gibbon’s death. Jamaican police did not respond to emailed requests for information.
Gibbon was one of 12 people murdered over the weekend in St. James Parish, a county with a population of about 184,000, the Western Mirror website reported.
The woman, whose nickname was “Desi,” grew up in Hollis. She attended Frank Sinatra School of the Arts High School in Astoria for a year and graduated from Benjamin N. Cardozo High School in Bayside.
Fugitive wanted for killing girlfriend is arrested after 11 years
She competed in beauty pageants, and modeled and acted from the time she was a baby.
Her parents have started a GoFundMe page to raise the money they need to bring her body home. By Thursday evening, they had raised nearly $16,000 from 248 donors.
“I am astounded at your generosity,” Cali-Gibbon wrote Thursday to the donors.
“There are just no words for this tragic event. We are destroyed and broken beyond repair.”
The story Is on NY Daily News front page today again sad
That’s why we need to get rid of all these killer from our country..people if u know something say something r ur kids is going to meet the same faith..the time is now…
So sad- s
what a violent world we live inna.
RIP!
Jamaica she calling beautiful paradise!!! People don’t get murdered in such place. Jamaica is the caribbean Iraq. Murder island. And which money she gone go look ova dey. When Jamaicans a run from it.. Everybody crying poverty! It sad for her family bad bad bad smhhhh
Sorry to say , but it look like she find one a di Scamma man dem and tell him seh when she go home dem realtionship done. It looks like a case of “{me cah have you nobody can”. That is a personal killing. Now the heat ago deh pan dem cause America will not take that light.
You know say this a bring me back to the Story about 6 months ago where a next girl left New York pon a sudden Vacation and was killed too. Her family didn’t even know she left, and she didn’t mention she was leaving , but they found out that she was murdered that same day they saw her in NY and she was dead in Jamaica later. I wonder if this is some serious connection going on with case.
This is a complete turnoff from visiting there. May she RIEP….brutal way to die.
I’m a bit confused, her family pretty much had money
why is she in Jamaica looking for bartending work, why not just get a job at the hotel or here in America. This is crazy
very sad that her life ended this way.
Omg! I been saying the same thing. Somethin dnt add up, why would she leave the US to go work as a bartender in Jamaica to save money to come back to the US to pay for school. An if her family have money why they need go fund me.
So phucking sad sip young lady
Dem demonic entities weh a walk dis land is something else. Did she spurn some asshole’s affection why she met this end? Cause the brutalization she meet could only come from a hate filled entity. Jamaica is not the Jamaica of the 70s and 80s where you could trust anyone you come across. Parents whose young children or even adult children going down for the Christmas season need to sit them down and have a long and deep talk with them. Those young ppl who nuh like to keep family members up to date on their movements, better start outlining every step of their movements, no times for secrecy in the name of privacy could be unno life unno save.
Soon, no one will want to even visit this Satanic place that I was born in, Let tourism suffer, then and only then something drastic will be done, I use to advocate for my island, “Yah man, Jamaica nice! Just go for vacation and you will see the beautiful island” NOT ANYMORE. It doesn’t matter under what circumstances this young lady life was cut short, You Jancrows is a set a dogshit who has no respect for people lives, I hope America go down there and turn it up side down and implement rules and regulations in which our government ignores over the years. Imagine this news all over the front page of the daily news, Yes I am mad, I am a sell out, I am now a Bajan :ngakak
I was confused about her finding work in Jamaica as well. She could find much better work here in America. Doesn’t make sense. But whatever the reason, it sad bad. People have no consideration of other people lives. Look how they just kill the girl?! Idk what Jamaica is becoming. Not paradise anymore, they need to clean up the island and do something fast. Things need to change! It getting from bad to worse now. How will Jamaica be in another 5-10 years. smh pls you guys do better!!!
Maybe she thought she could get a job in PR or entertainment, and have the exoticism of living on an island while still fairly close to home, you can’t get dat in NY wid dem cold winters. Better she did go look a work on a cruise ship, she would have gotten it, get to see the world and make loads of money same time. Jamaica slowly becoming the land of a million sorrows.
REALLY SAD. RIP YOUNG LADY—- U KNOW NOW WHEN MY FAMILY ARE FRIENDS SAY DEM NOT GOING BCK TO LIVE, AM NOT EVEN MAD ANYMORE…
Lots of loopholes in this story… she came down to look work at her auntie hotel .. her aunt owned an “inn” hotel and and inn are two different things… then she came to find bartending work? ,.. then she’s a model .. mi confused to bloodclat what is it that she was really doing cuz it’s not adding up seems more like a cover up!
I mean really who looks bartending work in Jamaica? The get paid shit! It would’ve been much better to look for it in Queens … on the other hand it really seems like a some man she have down there kill her RIP
I know the family they have money….something not write
Well, the news international now cause mi just guh pon MSN and it in mi news feed.
All me know we don’t want FOX NEWS get a hold a this story bcuz it’s the hard working Jamaicans it going to affect..
Something here isnt adding up..This story isnt clear or complete and I KNOW JAMAICA A RUN RED AND MOBAY BRUTAL..But whats the real story here?? NO ONE HAD THE RIGHT TO TAKE HER LIFE, NO ONE!!! BUT, THE TRUTH IS NOT BEEN SPOKEN OR REVEALED HERE…MY PPLE DEM COULD NEVA OWN HOTEL AND DEM HAVE PAPERS AND ME AS A TOURIST DEH A ANCHOVY, REALLY????
Sorry to hear about this young lady’s untimely death, but the fact that her throat was slit, tell me say dat it sound personal. A wah mek blood a run like wata a yaad so man – wid no ending in sight? Locals. Visitors. Not even a baby is spared! Whyyyyyyyy????????
Im sick of the crime in Jamaica but this story sound shaky! Leave America to look bartending working in order to save money to attend film school???? From October to December?? Then will go back to America to work at a friend’s record label?? This girl come here come mix up inna sumn.
Hope the truth come out eventually though.
I don’t buy this stroy about working in Jamaica save up money, when her mom said on tv she been there for 3 weeks on modeling job something just don’t add up. Them young girls here always find them self inna a bag a f**ky and end up dead. It just piss me off how jamaica a fi get mix up in this shit.
The story don’t add up
Her mom said she was betrayed by someone she trusted.The taxi pick her up routinely so they need to link the taxi man asap.Her mom did a recent interview. They know more than them letting on… sincerest condolences to her loved ones.
Why was she looking for a job, instead of her grandmother give her a job at the Inn for the time being, she was due to go back home sooner than later so why Work… I hope they find the killer…
Maybe it was just her time to go, something dont add up because america you can get some heavy grants and financial aid especially for film school or chef, not to mention low interest student loans. Then they state like three different careers {bar maid} and{ world traveler} I’m confused. And as a bottle girl she would have made some good money, if jodi couture can do it anybody can. sometime you fi humble and stan a yuh yard.